U.S. engineers say they have developed a mathematical model that could help energy companies produce natural gas more efficiently.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers are collaborating with Shell Oil Co. experts to apply their math model to a natural gas production system in Malaysia.
MIT Professor Paul Barton notes natural gas companies would like to operate their production networks more efficiently and flexibly. But he says the only way for a company to optimize such a system is to formulate it as a mathematical problem and solve it.
“If there were just one or two decisions to make, an engineer could do it,” he said. “But when you’ve got 20 valves to set and 50 different constraints to satisfy, it’s impossible for a person to see. Computer procedures can take all of that into account.”
Barton and chemical engineering graduate student Ajay Selot developed a mathematical model to guide operators’ decisions one to three months in advance. While other models have focused on optimizing individual subsystems, the new MIT model encompasses the whole system.
The research is supported by Shell International Exploration and Production through MIT’s Laboratory for Energy and the Environment.
11/21/2006 12:42:06 PM EST
Copyright © 2006 United Press International
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Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
